"Zero Punctuation" and "Dev Diary" by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw - The only thing worth watching on The Escapist

[The tired cat]

Yahtzee barely even talked about EGS. Here's the entire part from the review where he talks about it, which happens to be the very beginning of the review:

Now point me to the exact part where he says that Epic can challenge Steam's monopoly. The only part where he mentions it is the one where he talks about other people's very split opinions on the topic, not his own. As much as we hate it, EGS hand-picking games at the very least implies QC, whereas Steam barely has any. For every single Edmund McMillen there are hundreds of Digital Homicides who shit out unremarkable copycats or asset flips. These are both facts. It doesn't mean that Yahtzee hates Steam because it doesn't have QC. In fact, you can even see his opinion on it in the very first 2 sentences of the review, if you open your eyes.

You shat up a thread on how CDPR is the worst gamedev studio ever conceived and everyone who likes their games is stupid. A thread wasn't even tangentially related to CDPR. When people directed you to the thread where you should share your unpopular opinion, you probably didn't even touch it.

Here's an idea for you - how about you don't visit threads on topics you have an opinion so negative about it makes you go full-on tard because of all the anger? How about next time you decide, for some reason, to give your invaluable opinion on something you're clearly angry about, you turn off your PC and go outside? You aren't impressing anyone being a snobby contrarian. At the very least phrase it in a way that doesn't make you look like a massive cunt.

You mean how EGS put 3 Quantic Dream games on their store or Close to the Sun which is a laughable mess? Hell, I doubt he even knew how the devs behind Close to the Sun were giving Epic rimjobs for allowing em to use the Unreal engine and some other shit. Yeah, thats some good QC shit guys, really top notch work right there.

 

[Super Color Up]

I've always held a softspot for Yahtzee, and I even thought his gaming bar idea was pretty tits, but the track record shows that gaming themed venues tend to do poorly in the long run. Who's your target demo gonna be? Normies think it's cringy, dedicated gamers as a whole don't really go outside, and anyone over 40 doesn't get it. As a said gamer, I go out to get away from that stuff. I might go have a beer at a bar and grill or even slum it at a midnight diner for an hour, just to get out of the house.

That being said, while he still retains a certain degree of professionalism, it's clear that he's figured out a formula. He can shit on AAA games, which is always popular, and the normies love to support indies to stick it to the man, man. The dude is cynical to a fault and masks his finer points behind clever humor. Not to say he doesn't have genuine passion for the medium, but I think he know's hes practically a dinosaur in the industry. Who, outside of the Escapist, really talk about him? No one. His writing is decent to mediocre, even in his earlier games in the Chzo Mythos, (Six Days a Sacrifice, brrr.) and most of his ideas don't go very far.

At this rate, he's gonna either do a podcast, or resort to the patreon bandwagon. Shame, really, had he refined his craft a bit more instead of relying on his off-brand of witticisms, he might have been a more prolific presence with his writing, which is what he's clearly more passionate about. I get the feeling he wanted to write for games, but that shit is absurdly difficult to break into.

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

I get the feeling he wanted to write for games, but that shit is absurdly difficult to break into.

He did write a draft for Duke Nukem Forever that, as far as I'm aware, was praised by the developers and even considered at one point but was discarded when they decided to shift their direction (again) since Yahtzee's draft was more introspective and called attention to Duke as a character.

 

[The tired cat]

That being said, while he still retains a certain degree of professionalism, it's clear that he's figured out a formula. He can shit on AAA games, which is always popular, and the normies love to support indies to stick it to the man, man. The dude is cynical to a fault and masks his finer points behind clever humor. Not to say he doesn't have genuine passion for the medium, but I think he know's hes practically a dinosaur in the industry. Who, outside of the Escapist, really talk about him? No one. His writing is decent to mediocre, even in his earlier games in the Chzo Mythos, (Six Days a Sacrifice, brrr.) and most of his ideas don't go very far.

At this rate, he's gonna either do a podcast, or resort to the patreon bandwagon. Shame, really, had he refined his craft a bit more instead of relying on his off-brand of witticisms, he might have been a more prolific presence with his writing, which is what he's clearly more passionate about. I get the feeling he wanted to write for games, but that shit is absurdly difficult to break into.

Pretty sure the normies dont care that much for indies unless its an indie dev they know off. Now hipsters and obnoxious "games used to be art and have souls maaan" are the types who support indies and suck em off nice a hard. Ironically Yahtzee fitting well in both categories, an hey if podcasting doesn't fly he can always do a TV show...oh yeah...that shit didnt pan out, combined with him wanting to put his games on GoG and getting turned down which prob made him extra salty.

 

[Super Color Up]

when they decided to shift their direction (again) since Yahtzee's draft was more introspective and called attention to Duke as a character.

>Introspective draft clearly bringing attention to the fact that Duke isn't a dumb man, and all of his famed machismo is something more indicative of himself
>Toss it out in favor of wacky self-referential humor and 4th wall breaking

Yeah that sounds like gearbox alright.

 

[The tired cat]

>Introspective draft clearly bringing attention to the fact that Duke isn't a dumb man, and all of his famed machismo is something more indicative of himself
>Toss it out in favor of wacky self-referential humor and 4th wall breaking

Yeah that sounds like gearbox alright.

I cannot help and call bullshit on this one. I just have a hard time buying it that a triple A game studio would approach a nobody schmuck like Yathzee to write a script for DNF. Just sounds like something he pulles out from his asshole to try and give himself legit credit. Seriously, this is the guy who wrote articles for PC Gamer before he ended up in the Escapist

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

I cannot help and call bullshit on this one. I just have a hard time buying it that a triple A game studio would approach a nobody schmuck like Yathzee to write a script for DNF. Just sounds like something he pulles out from his asshole to try and give himself legit credit.

He discusses it here.

Yahtzee Could Have Written Duke Nukem Forever

Yes, Yahtzee wrote a test script for DNF.

v1.escapistmagazine.com

Of note is this quote. Admittedly I got some details wrong like the developers praising is, but he was actually approached by the developers

Trust me, I would have talked about this a lot more if it weren't for two things: partly the uncertainty over whether it violated some unspoken non-disclosure arrangement, which I guess isn't an issue anymore if that video I linked can have a former 3D realms developer gab off about it, but mostly because it wasn't a terribly interesting story, at least not from my perspective. Brian Hook emailed me asking if I was available for game scriptwriting, and I said yes, because I was. I was asked to do an audition piece so I knocked up a quick and dirty script for a scene that was basically taking all the piss. And don't ask to see it because it was a couple of hard drives ago.

Until I watched the video above I didn't even know if anyone had even liked the piece at all, which is probably why I don't talk about it. All I got told was that it didn't suit the tone they were going for. I was taking the piss out of Duke himself and they wanted Duke to be relatively straight while the world and the people around him were silly. I didn't submit a revised audition because that didn't make any sense to me at all. I would think the only way an action hero as typically 90's as Duke Nukem could survive today would be with as much irony as possible. I said as much, and thus ended my potential glittering career with 3D Realms.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

I used to like Yahtzee, but his shtick got real old. I don't like how negative he is about AAA games. They're prolefeed, but I still like prolefeed, especially Assassin's Creed. Plus, I got tired of his know-it-all British attitude.

 

[UE 558]

I used to like Yahtzee, but his shtick got real old. I don't like how negative he is about AAA games. They're prolefeed, but I still like prolefeed, especially Assassin's Creed. Plus, I got tired of his know-it-all British attitude.

Again, just compare his RDR2 video to his RDR1 video and it becomes extremely clear that Ben has flandarized his his persona to the point that he’s essentially just “Diet Sterling”

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

Again, just compare his RDR2 video to his RDR1 video and it because extremely clear that Ben has flandarized his his persona to the point that he’s essentially just “Diet Sterling”

And Sterling is shit. Used to like him too, but my final straw was when he did a hysterical rant about a FREE DLC for a game that had another game's characters in it (he was complaining about advertising, even though it was free). Sterling got way too caught up in his anti-corporate and deviant gimmick to where it's just consumed his entire personality.

 

[UE 558]

And Sterling is shit. Used to like him too, but my final straw was when he did a hysterical rant about a FREE DLC for a game that had another game's characters in it (he was complaining about advertising, even though it was free). Sterling got way too caught up in his anti-corporate and deviant gimmick to where it's just consumed his entire personality.

Tbf, Ben is still less of a whore than Sterling. Ben at least stands by his opinions, Jim stands by them unless a nice man in a pressed suit slips a Benjamin in his pocket

 

[The tired cat]

Tbf, Ben is still less of a whore than Sterling. Ben at least stands by his opinions, Jim stands by them unless a nice man in a pressed suit slips a Benjamin in his pocket

Somehow I doubt Ben would be any different. If say a huge triple A company knocked on his door and offered him two dump trucks of cash and a job at their office to write scripts for their games, the dude would suck enough dick to make Vietnamese prostitutes jealous.

 

[Pumpkin Girl IRL]

Did Ben steal your hooker or something.

 

[Wendy Carter]

New Dev Diary episode is up, check it out. The fundamentals of the first game, "Preflight Panic", are ready, and now it's mostly testing, polishing and adding a few different varieties of passengers.

 

[Wendy Carter]

Rage 2 - Zero Punctuation | Escapist Magazine

This week Yahtzee reviews Rage 2 on Zero Punctuation.

www.escapistmagazine.com

This week's review is Rage 2.

Spoiler: Rage 2 review summary

Rage 2 is a sequel to Rage, a sandbox post-apocalyptic FPS. Some criticism overlaps from other post-apocalyptic sandbox games, such as dull environments. Pacing is an issue. The entire map is available and the game throws a lot of things at you very quickly, and some of the earlier equipment is better than everything else that follows; clearing a bandit camp requires to find hidden items within said camp, stopping the pacing dead in its tracks unless the player has done so while killing bandits. Plot doesn't involve the player being challenged, as the plan to take down the main antagonist goes without any issues. Many weapons are gimmicky, so unless you want to challenge yourself by only using them you have to rely on the basics, like a shotgun and rocket launcher.
A very negative review.

 

[The tired cat]

I'm gonna point out two fun things about this: 1. I love how you add "a very negative review" implying that he ever does positive stuff, when it only happens when he gives another indie dev a blowjob; 2. I do find it hilarious how he brought up the "Division 2 dun do much political stuff!!" and the health care system I guess he still needs to "reee!! TRUMP!" from time to time.

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

1. I love how you add "a very negative review" implying that he ever does positive stuff, when it only happens when he gives another indie dev a blowjob;

He didn't do that when he reviewed Too Close to the Sun, an indie game he ended up disliking. Plus I've been noticing games like Rage 2 and Days Gone have been getting mediocre to bad reviews anyway so it isn't like he's been hating games that are receiving high praise.

2. I do find it hilarious how he brought up the "Division 2 dun do much political stuff!!" and the health care system I guess he still needs to "reee!! TRUMP!" from time to time.

I'll give you this one since he does try to cram in Trump joke every now and then, but I'd like to add that it isn't exactly a new thing with him. He's made jokes about American politics in the past, like in his Fable 3 and Call of Duty videos. Hell he made a healthcare joke in one of his older CoD videos (can't be bothered to remember which one). All he's doing is being more topical. Not defending him or anything, I find it annoying myself, but it's not like he doesn't have a history of it.

 

[The tired cat]

He didn't do that when he reviewed Too Close to the Sun, an indie game he ended up disliking. Plus I've been noticing games like Rage 2 and Days Gone have been getting mediocre to bad reviews anyway so it isn't like he's been hating games that are receiving high praise.


I'll give you this one since he does try to cram in Trump joke every now and then, but I'd like to add that it isn't exactly a new thing with him. He's made jokes about American politics in the past, like in his Fable 3 and Call of Duty videos. Hell he made a healthcare joke in one of his older CoD videos (can't be bothered to remember which one). All he's doing is being more topical. Not defending him or anything, I find it annoying myself, but it's not like he doesn't have a history of it.

Honestly, I know its not a new topic for the guy, but lets be real right now he still does some hardcore "Reeee!!! Trump!!!!" material. I think he only took potshots at Hillary maybe one time and that was the story with Hot Coffee for GTA SA. Plus, aside from Division 2, he also had this whole spiel in FC5 how "Oh, the ending is so messed up and depressing. Because thatll what the world will lead to in real life with Trump in power", like seriously mofo I rarely say this but to quote from Rick&Morty "Save it for your blog".

As for Rage 2 and Days Gone, my problem isnt him disliking the games, just found it amusing of the need to point out "oh this review is very negative". Like as someone pointed out a good portion of Yahtzees reviews are now "AAA BAD! Indie good", yeah he MAY dislike one Indie game but usually he sucks em off super hard.

 

[Haramburger]

He discusses it here.

Yahtzee Could Have Written Duke Nukem Forever

Yes, Yahtzee wrote a test script for DNF.

v1.escapistmagazine.com

Of note is this quote. Admittedly I got some details wrong like the developers praising is, but he was actually approached by the developers

This is how they hired Anthony Burch to write BL2, they approached him at GDC. What is it with Gearbox game studios & recruiting writers from internet comedy videos?

 

[Pumpkin Girl IRL]

Yahtzee has yet to be outed as a sex pest, so he has that going for him at least. I doubt he would've fit Gearbox's corporate culture.

The man who has taken shots at the US since his beginning also took a shot at Current Year president. Hmmm.